Aramere: Daughter of Thorin
by MIMIbaggins
Summary: Based if Thorin Oakenshield had a daughter before he set off for the Shire and his Quest to reclaim Erebor, it shows what may have happened in the months before and during the battle of the five armies. Strong willed and adventurous Aramere wants nothing more but to go with him and the rest of her kin.Will she have her way? Or will she have to deal with the outcome, no matter what?
1. New Year's Eve

**Ok, so REWRITE! I hated the last version, and I couldn't get it to go anywhere. :( It's based on if Thorin had had a daughter but this time, WAS married to her mother (Trust me, it does change much). The story starts in the year 2939, when Aramere is 12 (In human years- 39 in dwarrow years, just under her 'majority'. See: dwarves, Tolkien Gateway for more). This is ten months before Thorin sets of for The Shire on his quest to regain Erebor.**

 **Disclaimer: I obviously don't own The Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit but it would be awesome if I did. I do own Aramere.**

* * *

There was something immensely satisfying the sound of a hammer on an anvil to Aramere. Of course, because she was a girl, she wasn't often allowed in the forges but very occasionally her Adad would smuggle her in when no one else was around and she would have a go at making a horse shoe or two and she was getting rather good to her mind; so much so that her Adad said she could sell them at the market in town and keep the profit although they both knew that wasn't very much money, especially now in midwinter when horses were struggling to wade through the waist high snow and food was scarce.

"Right young lady," said her Adad from behind her, shaking her from her thoughts of the gold and dragons in her homeland. Erebor was more and more often on her mind these days and she couldn't place why. Of course, being heir to its throne might have something to do with it… "I think it's time we went back to your mother, else she inform the whole village that you're missing. Again."

"Sorry Adad." muttered Aramere, blushing the ruby red colour of the now setting sun. "Coming." As she jogged towards him he stopped her and looked and her questioningly.

"Aren't you forgetting something rather important?"

"Oh!" gasped Aramere, smacking her forehead in annoyance and causing her bright red, curly hair to fall in front of her face like a thick curtain of fire." My horseshoes!"

Quickly, she jogged back again and scooped up her completed horseshoes in a large cloth sack counting them as she went. "Eight today, six last time, seven before that and…" she closed her eyes to figure out how many she had done before then. "Thirty-five prior to that. So that means I now have…" she closed her eyes again.

"Fifty-six horse shoes." Her Adad finished for her. "Now come on!"

"Coming, coming." She sighed as she waded out into the waist height snow behind him, so that her hair trailed behind her like a wedding train.

As they neared the town square, the wonderful scent of apples, spices, and roast meat filled the air reminding Aramere what day it was: New Year's Eve! Tonight there would be festivities, dancing, singing and feasting until the wee hours of the morning. For those who were allowed to go, anyway. Being the daughter of two dwarf refugees, she was seen as a second-class citizen in Luin Magdul and was excluded from these festivities, much to her dismay. Every year had been the same, she would sit on the roof of her house on the outskirts of town and listen to the music and laughter and try to imagine that she was there too. More often than not her parents would come up a few hours later to find her asleep in a ball under a light dusting of snow.

As always, as soon as she opened the door to their tiny, cramped, stilted house she was greeted by a bone-crushing hug from her mother, Frida, who then promptly turned and scolded her Adad for being home so late. Today though, Aramere noticed that her Amad looked unusually taught and distracted. Not wishing to butt into her parents routine hushed conversation she excused herself to leave only to be stopped by her Adad's firm hand on her shoulder. "Actually, Ara, we need to tell you something. Come sit at the table."

"Oh, ok." She said, equal parts curious and confused as to what the news might be. Was she in trouble? Did they have to move again? Questions chased each other around and around her head.

Once they were all sat down, they all stared at each other blankly until her Adad cleared his throat awkwardly. "It's my fault so let me start from the beginning…"

Aramere listened in awe as she learned where her Adad had been going in secret for months now. He had been meeting with Gandalf the Grey, he said, and discussing plans for a long-awaited journey. He had gathered to him a dozen dwarves including her brothers Fili and Kili (they were really her cousins, but they were as close as brothers to her) and her uncles Balin and Dwalin who also wanted to go on this quest. When he finished he let out a long sigh.

"And there you have It." he said at last. "The truth."

"But Adad," she said shakily "You haven't said where you're going, when, or for how long."

"I know." He said softly after a long glance at her Amad." Sadly, I can only answer two of those questions. I will leave for a small country called The Shire on the first of the fourth month this coming year and meet the rest of the company there. We will there collect the fourteenth member of the company whom Gandalf has selected from the folk who live there. We shall then set off on the main purpose of our journey. To reclaim Erebor. As for when I will return I do not know when or if I even shall."

Aramere stared open mouthed at her Adad in disbelief, willing it not to be true. She had always known this day would come ever since they told her about her about her ancestry. As king under the mountain, her Adad would need to go back someday but she had always hoped that that time would come when she was old enough to go with them. Now the shock of it cleared and the angry tears prickled in her eyes. Why did he have to go? Why did he listen to the advice of the stupid wizard Gandalf? Why her? Why did she have to be the princess? Why was her life so unfair?

With all of these questions still whirling around her head, she forced back her chair and ran to the door and then out into the snow, slamming the door behind her. Knowing that it was fruitless to follow her, her parents sat in silence, waiting for her to calm down, see sense and return.

Still fuming, Aramere waded as fast as the snow and her little legs would allow, to the small, cramped shelter she had built under the garden of the old nursery a mile or so out of town where no one went any more. Once she had managed to bury her way in, she let the tears start to flow. For what seemed like forever, she raged and sobbed until, exhausted, she curled up and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

It was late morning when Aramere awoke to the sound of her name being called. At that moment the events of the night before rushed back to her in an uncontrollable flood of fear, anger, panic, sadness and guilt. She looked around in a panic and found herself in her den under a layer of several feet of snow. Then it dawned on her why she hadn't been found; the falling snow had covered her tracks and because she was a fair way out of town no one had seen where she went!

Realising what a panic her parents must be in she scooped away the snow from the entrance and crawled out into the crisp white blanket which now lay three and a half feet deep in places and being only three feet tall herself, when she found these deeper pockets she found it a good deal harder to get out again. But eventually she arrived at the edge of town, frozen to the core and worried sick about what her parents would say when they found her.

Suddenly, rough hands had her under the arms and were hauling her up and out of the snow! Struggling against them she fell back down into the drift and whirled around to see who the hands belonged to.

"Well somebody's rather jumpy this morning!" Laughed the fur-clad figure. "And I had expected a warm welcome after the journey we've just had." Then looking closer at Aramere, "Gracious, Ara! Where's your cloak? You must be frozen!"

"Kili! I wasn't expecting you! Nor you Fili, for that matter! And yes, I am frozen but we need to get home quick. Adad and Amad are probably out looking for me. You see, Adad told me about your quest for Erebor and I was sad and angry and worried so I ran off to a little den I made about a mile or so out of town but because of the snow I left no tracks and they couldn't follow me and so they don't know where I am and…" she paused at last to take a deep breath.

"Alright, alright" interrupted Fili," We understand. But instead of standing here getting cold let us go and find your parents. Here, I'll carry you to keep you warm."

"Th-Thanks." Shivered Aramere gratefully, suddenly realising that her teeth were chattering from the cold. "You remember the way, I trust?"

"Of course we do! " said Kili with a smile," It's a second home to us! Now let's go before the snow covers our heads as well."

Ten minutes later, they were at the house. Kili knocked firmly on the door and then took a step back, waiting for it to open. Within seconds the door flew open to reveal Frida looking as though she had seen a ghost and hadn't slept in a week.

"Happy New Year Aunt Frida, you're not looking too well." Said Fili." We brought you something that might help cheer you up. "

With that he let Aramere down onto the porch and with a squeal she ran to her mother. "I'm sorry." She whispered as she hugged her Amad tight.

"I'm sorry too, Ara. So sorry." Whispered Frida before prising herself away from Aramere in order to greet Fili and Kili properly.

After the initial reunion, Frida ushered the three of them inside to thaw by the fire while she boiled some leaves in water for them to drink. Just as they had settled down to warm, the door burst open and a dripping wet, stiff figure lumbered in.

"Uncle!" Exclaimed Kili from the fireside. "We were getting worr-"

"Ah, lads I'm so glad that you're here," he butted in, seeming quite distraught, almost on the edge of panic, "you see, we've lost-"

"Adad!" screamed Aramere running from the fire to hug him. "I'm sorry I ran off last night! I was scared and worried and angry and so I ran to my den under the nursery and then the falling snow hid my tracks and then Fili and Kili found me on the outskirts of town and I, I'm sorry. So sorry. I'll never, ever run off again. I promise."

"Sh,sh." Said Thorin softly crouching down, silently thanking Mahal that this- HIS – tiny bundle of crazy-as-hell, mad-as a-hatter child, hadn't frozen to death, or wandered away. "You're ok and that's all that matters Ara. I wouldn't mind a glass of something a little stronger than water, though, after all that searching" he chuckled as an afterthought, not wanting to show quite how relieved he was.

Giggling, Aramere ran through to her mother in the kitchen to fetch some ale while her Adad discussed the future with her brothers.

Soon they were all quite warm and comfortable around the roaring fire and they laughed and talked until the night had come and the sun had set far below The Misty Mountains on the horizon.

* * *

 **So that was my first chapter, I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please like or leave a positive comment as this is my first ever publish! Thanks!**

 **Okey-dokey folks. You know that that's not STRICTLY true. But I hope that this made you happy (even if you haven't read this before). See you soon (this isn't as hard as I thought).**


	2. Farewell to peace

**This chapter takes place as Thorin, Fili and Kili leave for The Shire in the tenth month of the year 2940. Aramere is beside herself and decides to take matters into her own hands to keep her and her family safe.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit but it would be awesome if I did. I do, however, own Aramere.**

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Aramere ran to him, careful, not to damage her gift." Thank you! " She cried burying her head in the fur lining of his travel cloak. "I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She managed through the great raking sobs and tears that now ran like rivers down her face.

It was a beautiful bow, engraved with her name and family runes and tipped with metal dyed Durin-blue. It was just the right size for her, and was beautifully light. The arrows that went with it were the same, light, with blue metal tips, and they had raven feathers at the end. It took Aramere's breath away.

For the hour that remained until Thorin left, the three of them sat around the fire and revised the plans of what Frida and Aramere were going to do to cope while he was away; Frida had secured herself a job in the local mail office which would generate less than what they had at the minute, but would still be enough for just the two of them to scrape a living with. Meanwhile, Aramere was to go to the forges when she could, but that was about it apart from the regular market trips that she would now have to do as the sole representative.

At last, Thorin's departure could be put off no longer and they all walked over to the town hall to bid him farewell and good luck. After a quick embrace with them both, he jumped up onto the pony and, calling back to them to stay safe and not to worry, he rode from the town, knowing in his heart that he would not return to it again.

Aramere had been right in thinking that her Adad's departure would be harder on her than her brother's and for the rest of the day she sat on the roof wondering what terrors and trials he would face, not only on the way to The Shire, but on the return journey to their homeland and birth rite. Erebor.

After a week or so, life returned relatively to normal for the two women. Frida was now often gone by the time Aramere woke up, but she didn't mind. Every time this happened, she would go downstairs to find a warm slice of bread and a note with a few small tasks on it from her Amad at her place at the table. It was on the way back from one of these tasks that she ran into a group of boys a few years older than her but much less mature for their years.

"Look!" Jeered one of them, obviously the one in charge. "Looks like Daddy's gone away and left his little baby to pick up the pieces." The rest of the boys laughed mockingly at his joke waiting for Aramere's response.

"Let me through! At least I'm trusted enough and mature enough to do chores, rather than loitering in alleyways waiting to disrupt someone." Retorted Aramere hotly, feeling herself going red at being called a baby. "Anyway, I'm actually 39, believe it or not!" Any dwarrow would have laughed her proudly proclaiming that she was 39, it was seen as still being a small child to be cooed over. With that, she tried to walk through them to continue on her errand.

"Not so fast." Said another boy, slightly smaller than the one before but still at least double her height and triple her breadth. Suddenly he threw out his hand and shoved Aramere into the mud. At this the rest of the boys roared with laughter until tears were rolling down their faces. Feeling her temper rising, she picked herself up gingerly and brushed the worst of the dirt from her top.

"Why won't you just let me through?" She shouted at the gang "What harm am I doing just trying to go through with my daily routine?"

" _Why won't you just let me through?"_ Mimicked the first boy in a patronisingly high, squeaky voice, still laughing.

Glaring at them, she tried once more to barge through them and to her surprise they let her, to busy laughing at her retreating back to care.

As she stormed away from the thoroughly embarrassing and humiliating confrontation, Aramere found a plan forming in her head. Not only would it help her to not be picked on, but it might just help to keep her Adad and the others safe as well. She was determined not to be treated like that again; not by those boys or anyone else, so she need to find a way to show openly that she knew how to take care of herself. And she knew exactly how to do it.

* * *

The next morning, Aramere was up at the crack of dawn and was running through the narrow lanes to the other side of town within minutes. She was determined after yesterday's encounter that no one would ever laugh at her or call her weak again.

Perfectly aware of the stares of passing men and women in the street, she walked openly into the public training centre. Here you could practise everything from running to sword fighting, to wrestling to balancing on high ropes. But Aramere wasn't here for any of those reasons.

Amid the open staring and whispering, she slung her bow from her back and walked with her chin up high into the archery arena. Among the people in the stands, she quickly spotted who she was looking for. The boys from the day before were about half way up and were clearly laughing at her, thinking that she would miss by far even the nearest of targets.

Trying not to feel too self-conscious, Aramere walked over to the nearest target and took aim, trying to remember all of the tips that Kili had given to her when she was younger. Feet shoulder width apart, draw back to your ear, stand side on, keep your hand steady and… Shoot.

As she let her arrow fly, she knew that it was a good shot although she was out of practise. Shoot (no pun intended). Squinting through the sun, she saw that it had pierced just outside of the central rose to the left side. Throwing her hair over her shoulder, she marched through the hushed arena to retrieve her arrow from the board, feeling dozens of eyes on her.

So it continued until late in the evening. Aramere would shoot an arrow, collect it, shoot an arrow, collect it, and kept shooting at a single board until she hit the rose 5 times in a row. Every time she drew back the bow she could feel eyes watching her intently, wondering why a girl was using a weapon.

Eventually, after an hour or so of trying, she hit the centre of the one hundred and twenty metre board five times straight. Feeling very pleased with herself, Aramere half walked, half skipped over to the board to retrieve her arrow. As she did so, she heard slow, mocking claps coming from behind her. Instinctively, she reached from an arrow and, loading her bow as she did so, span on heel to face the culprit.

"Well, well, well. Little baby ginger has learned how to fight." Then noticing Aramere's loaded bow, "Alright feisty, I was only saying. A girl. With a bow. Unusual, don't you think boy's?"

It was the boys from her encounter the day before.

"Have you got a problem with that?" asked Aramere, not lowering her bow when she saw who it was.

"No." replied the leader quickly, "It's just curious."

"In what way?" she replied, frowning "Why shouldn't I learn how to defend myself?"

"Defend yourself from what?" Countered the boy, smirking slightly. "There's nothing out there."

"Then why do boys and men train?" asked Aramere indignantly.

"For war and stuff, I guess." The boy shrugged, frowning.

"Then I don't see why I shouldn't as well." She retorted angrily. "War does not discriminate. Orcs raid tomorrow? They won't say 'leave the women and children be because they don't know how to fight'. No. They would kill everyone. Women included. So your point is invalid." Turning on heel once more, she placed her arrow back in her quiver and marched off down the track to collect the other from the board. Once she had done so, she pulled her bow over her back and jerked her hair out from under, it letting it cover her weapons lest guards see them and confiscate them. She started off from the training grounds at a fast walk but that quickly turned into a jog and then a run and then a sprint as she neared home. Within minutes, she stood panting on the doorstep in front of her mother.

"Where have you been?" Cried Frida on seeing her daughter covered in mud with arrows at her hip and a bow across her back.

"Shooting." Panted Aramere, thinking that it would be obvious. "Sorry Amad. I didn't mean to be home so late but I got really in to it and I lost track of time."

"That's ok." Sighed Frida, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. " And more importantly you're ok which is all that matters. Just tell me next time, Ara, agreed? "

"Agreed." Murmured Aramere into her Amad's apron. She smelled wonderful, like freshly baked cookies and roasted chestnuts.

"Come and sit down then." Said Frida. "You'll want a warm glass of something after all of that training." And so daily archery practise quickly became part of Aramere's routine. It gave her something to look forward to once she had finished her chores and she soon began to challenge herself to draw, and eventually also shoot, while running. She also started to try climbing, knowing that being up high was a large advantage in any fight, big or small and found that she was quite good at finding little nooks and crannies in the rock face that others either over looked or couldn't get a good hold onto.

So it came that the days spread into weeks, and the weeks spread into months, and the winter dragged into spring, and then that, in turn, was surpassed by the first gleams of early summer, but still Thorin, Fili and Kili did not return.

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 **Thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it lots and if you did please remember to review or (even better) favourite or subscribe! The more support I get, the more I'll write folks!**

 **This is still the case guys! I'm not changing all too much at the mo, but let me know if the effort that I'm putting in is going to waste!**


	3. Homeward bound

**Ok then folks. I'm back again, not having changed very much at all. I'm gonna try and do some stuff though (I know, I'm specific, aren't I?). That includes getting rid of the chapter summaries. Sorry guys, but they were SO last year (Literally).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit. I DO own Aramere. Enjoy!**

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It had been seven long, hard months since her Adad and her brothers had left on their potentially deadly quest to reclaim Erebor, and with each passing day Aramere felt her heart grow heavier, and her worry and concern grow, until it felt as though she was carrying a lead weight around with her everywhere. Her best coping mechanism for when she felt really down was, of course, training, but after her accident she had been kept home by her mother's- and doctor's- orders for three weeks.

The accident had occurred when Aramere was trying out a new skill at the training centre, sword fighting. She had managed to forge herself a bronze and steel blade about a week before, with a leather grip from her savings. She was still at the point of learning how to draw, hold, and wield the fifteen-inch long knife safely, when she had tripped and stabbed through her hand. She had passed out and was rushed to the tiny hospital in the centre of town while someone alerted her mother.

Today was the final day of the third week and Aramere was desperate to be let out again. Over the recent weeks she had had nothing to distract herself from her anxiety for her Adad and her brothers, and felt like she was sinking under the stress of it, reaching the point where she thought she might drown under its weight.

Stretching, she looked out into the noon sun to see if she could spot her Amad returning with the doctor who was to come and remove her bandages and make sure that the wound had healed fully. Flexing her fingers to make sure that there was no cramp that might make the doctor think twice about discharging her, Aramere felt her thoughts stray once more to Fili, Kili, and her Adad. How she wished she were there with them, seeing the world and facing dangers unknown! At that moment, she thought about the dangers and how she would feel so much more at ease if she knew what they were. That thought only intensified her longing to be with them, to help them, to protect them, although she knew in her heart of hearts that she would be more of a hindrance than a help to them it still didn't change her mind. She was going to help them whether they wanted her to or not.

Still staring out of the window, she shifted her line of sight from the training grounds over to the distant horizon where she could just make out the very tip of the Lonely Mountain jutting up over the edge of the vast plains. Suddenly a plan jumped into her head that seemed too perfect to be true. She would go to the lonely mountain! That way she would be able to see her Adad approaching and would be able to help in the coming battle that was sure to take place there!

Just as she was thinking over the finer points of her plan, such as supplies and how she would afford them, she heard the door open and her Amad's voice call up that she was home. As though she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been, Aramere dived under the covers and tried to look calm and relaxed for when the doctor came in.

The doctor's name was Mart, and he had been the village doctor for as long as just about anyone could remember. Wrinkled as a mole and crooked as a tree in strong wind, he treated everything from burns to indigestion, to broken limbs to minor and major open wounds such as her own. He always looked distracted, but today he looked ready to drop. Still, none the less, he waddled over to her bedside, leaning heavily on his stick as he did so.

"So," He wheezed at length, "how are you feeling, young lady?"

"Much better now, thank you." Replied Aramere slowly, trying not to seem too eager to be dismissed. "My hand doesn't hurt anymore, and I can move my fingers fine as well." She wiggled them to prove her point, causing them to crack and creak. Mart looked at her dubiously.

"Well then," he croaked, looking down on her." Let's have your bandages off shall we?" Groaning as though he had just had his legs taken out from beneath, Mart lowered himself down to the level of Aramere's bed. She sat up and placed her arm on her lap, knowing to routine. Gingerly, Mart's shaky hands unravelled the long, woollen strip from Aramere's hand and lower wrist until they were in a tight roll in his hand and her hand was free and clear to see.

A jagged scar ran across the back off her left hand for about an inch in mottled angry red and ugly white until stopping just above her wrist. On her palm, a short, straight, white line cut for around half a centimetre along the centre of her hand, having healed faster than the back.

"I believe that you shall be quite alright within a couple of weeks." The doctor resolved after carefully examining the scars. "But you have had a very lucky escape. Most people who gain a wound such as this either die from infection or at least suffer paralysis in the affected area. You are not to do anything too strenuous for a while yet, but you should now be okay without bandages. On that note, I must be off. Take care child!"

And with that he sprang up and bolted down the stairs as though seeing Aramere had suddenly wiped many moons off him.

"Huh." Said Aramere. "Looks like someone's feeling better."

"Indeed." Chuckled Frida. "Now, let's go down and talk about what you would like to do while you're ' _not to do anything too strenuous_ ', hey. I don't think that either of us would suffer from a glass of warm milk either."

"Alright." She replied absent mindedly, still dizzy with relief from being let off the hook after what seemed like endless weeks of confinement. Soon, they were sat opposite each other with steaming glasses of goat's milk in their hands.

"So," Began Frida when Aramere said nothing "I've been thinking…"

"Yeah, me to." She replied, suddenly snapping back into reality.

"Well?" Prompted her Amad after a long moment, when she didn't elaborate. "What have you been thinking?"

Nervously, Aramere twirled a long strand of her hair around and around her index finger, knowing what her Amad would say in response to her idea. At last, she took a deep breath and blurted out in a rush: "I want to go to Erebor so that I can meet Adad there and help him to defeat Smaug and find the Arkenstone with him and make sure that he's okay and that Fili and Kili are as well." She took another deep breath to continue but was stopped by her Amad's immediate answer of no, and that it would only happen over her dead body and that she had never heard Aramere come out with such a stupid idea in all her life. Pretending not to hear her Amad, Aramere looked at her pleadingly, knowing that Frida wouldn't be able to resist fully the doleful, puppy-eyed stare.

"Let me think about it, Ara, okay. It's not a definite no, but it's a long way from a yes as well." Frida offered. It was been exactly what she had wanted to do for months now and precisely what she would have done, had she not had Aramere to look after as well.

With both of their minds now swimming with unanswered questions and scenarios and odds of survival, they sat in strained silence until far into the evening when Frida at last broke the palpable silence with a question that had been at the forefront of Aramere's mind. "Where would we get the supplies from though? I can see how we would get there, where we could get ponies from and how we would avoid getting eaten by the dragon (for the most part), but the way we would manage to afford supplies still eludes me."

"Some of them I would make," answered Aramere, glad that her Amad was now showing signs of being on board, if they could make it work. She wasn't too keen on going alone but if that was what it took to get to them then that's what she would do." Seeing as I'm not allowed to do anything too taxing, I should have plenty of time to make some bags and blankets from some sturdy cloth from the market. Luin's Festival is in a couple of days as well, so I should be able to sneak into the forges and make myself at least one more blade if not two and then I can get some of the cheap scraps of leather from the market too, for the hilt."

"That wasn't my question." Said Frida impatiently. "And there is no 'I' about it. It shall be both of us or neither of us. I asked how we would pay for it all."

"Oh, um, well I have some money saved up from my horse shoes and some pennies that I've got from doing little jobs for people before." She confessed. "I think that it all adds up to about seventy-three gold coins and forty-two silver pennies, which should be enough for what we need, I thought. "

"More than enough!" Gasped her Ma, shocked that neither Thorin nor Aramere had mentioned the hidden small fortune before. "But where is it?"

Not bothering to answer, Aramere quickly ran up to the loft and, fighting through swathes of old rugs and tools and worn out saddles until she finally reached the far corner and pulled aside the cloaks, revealing many pairs of innocent looking boots, all piled around a large wooden chest. Suddenly, her Amad's head could be seen poking up over the books that stood teetering in high stacks by the ladder, "Do you need any help up here, Ara?" asked Frida, squinting to try and find her daughter among the piles and piles of stuff that filled nearly every corner of the attic from floor to ceiling. " Don't damage your hand lifting something too heavy!"

"I'm fine!" replied Aramere, carrying three pairs of boots over to her Amad. " Could you take these down though? Mind, they're heavier than you think." With that, she handed them over and went back to get some more.

"What have you got in these?" Asked her Amad half-jokingly as she collected another load from Aramere. "Bricks?"

"Nope." Announced Aramere with a grin. "Something much more precious than bricks."

They continued to move the boots until all that remain was the chest. With a groan, she picked it up and staggered over with it to her mother. Together, they gently lowered the box down to the floor below. There they sat panting for a while before they decided not to take out the gold but instead wait for the next day where they would take it down to the market and buy the majority of supplies and materials they needed for their journey. The only thing that they wouldn't be able to buy was food; that they would need to get as soon as possible to their time of departure.

That was another big question for them to figure out though: when would they leave? They needed to leave as soon as possible in order not to miss Durin's Day and the opening of the secret door, which was the only way that they would be able to get into the mountain alive. They couldn't leave too soon either though, since Aramere's hand needed time to recover fully and they needed to make all of the equipment that would be too expensive to buy, even with all of the money that she had been saving. Frida had obviously been pondering the last question as well because she said all of Aramere's reasoning out loud.

"We can't go this week and I doubt that anyone would be able to sell us a horse before two weeks' notice." Calculated Frida, "We would have to leave on the first day of the week as well, because otherwise any food that we take would start to go off before we even set out. So…"She paused for a moment trying to think of a day that would fit all of their requirements." I think that we should set out after the third coming market, which is always on the last day of the week. We pack all of our food that night and then set out early the next morning. Do you think that that would work, Ara?"

"I can't think why it wouldn't. You might need to practise how to wield a knife though, at the least. How about you come to training with me?" She joked. Then on seeing her Amad's expression," Or I could just trust that you remember the basics and probably could still teach me more than I could ever hope to learn." she answered quickly and with a sigh, feeling the heavy weight over her heart suddenly lift. She was finally going to see them, help them, be with them and her Amad had agreed to come too! Being a soldier in the battle for Erebor one hundred and seventy years before had been how her parents had originally met, so having her there was a great relief; apparently, she had been a great warrior. Too excited to sit there any longer, Aramere kissed her mother good night and went to bed, anxious to see the morning where she and her Amad would start preparing for the journey ahead.

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 **Thanks very much for reading and again, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review or like or follow. The more support you show, the more I'll know that my hard work isn't going to waste! Enjoy.**

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	4. Ready? Set? Go!

**Another chapter for you all. Sorry if you're finding these author notes dull, I can't really say much because there's only really an hour difference between these chapters being updated. Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit or any of Peter Jackson's or JRR Tolkien's work. I do own Aramere.**

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The next morning arrived crisp and cold even though it was now officially summer. After a frantic quarter of an hour, Frida and Aramere set off for the centre of Luin Magdul with a wheelbarrow for the goods that they were going to purchase and the coins that they were going to purchase them with. Soon, they started to hear the tell-tale sounds of horses braying and stamping impatiently and the voices of citizens bartering for lower prices in the cobbled market square that signified that they were nearing the stalls. You could never quite be sure where the market would begin from week to week but this week it seemed particularly large and rowdy for the time of year. Knowing that the fabrics were around the other side of the bazaar, Aramere set out for them, leaving her Amad to try and bag them the lowest price on some flints and rope that they would undoubtedly need on their journey.

With one hand on her knife and another on her coins, she pushed her way through the crowds until she got to a tiny, tumbled down shop in the far corner of the square. The woman running the stall was well known to her, as Aramere would often get new material for bags or insoles for her Amad's old boots so that they would fit her slightly flatter feet better. Because of this Aramere would sometimes get discounts from her. In stature, Olga was quite like her mother: small and dumpy with a kind, round face, and long sturdy hands worn from many years of manual labour. The main difference was that you could instantly tell was that Frida had been through battle, she still had the air of a warrior about her, whereas a crisis to Olga meant running out of buttons or thread on a busy market day.

"Hello there!" Cried Olga with a chuckle when she spotted Aramere trying to make her way over to the stand. "And what can I do for you today, young Ara?"

"Good morning to you too." Answered Aramere when she got to the counter." I was wondering if you could do me a deal on some strong, sturdy cloth and thread. The kind that you might use to make a bag for on long journeys." She continued, trying to sound inconspicuous and as though this was a perfectly average request. "It would help as well if it was at least semi water proof. Do you have anything like that?"

After rummaging around for a while under the table, Olga reappeared with a roll of resin-backed hessian, which looked both strong and water tight. "You're in luck ginger." She said. "We got this in yesterday all the way from Mirkwood. Light weight, durable and water proof. How much do you want?"

Aramere thought for a moment. "Two and a half feet across and eight feet up please." She answered.

Olga raised her eyebrows at her request but said nothing as she cut the cloth to the specifications that her young customer had requested. When she had finished and rolled it up in a couple of metres of thread she turned back to Aramere. "Anything else?" She asked.

"Yes please." Said Aramere quickly. "Can I please have some softer fabric as well? For blankets and such but in quite a dull colour… so as to keep down the cost." she added to try and keep her true intentions secret. "Same dimensions as the last please."

Olga's puzzled expression faded at Aramere's last words, thinking that she just wanted to make a coat for her horses or something of that sort. "Here you are then dear," she chirped, "that will be twenty-nine gold coins and twelve silver pennies please."

"Oh." murmured Aramere. She hadn't expected it to be cheap but she was still surprised at quite how expensive it was. "I didn't think that it would be quite that much. I only have twenty-five gold coins and ten silver pennies."

"That's okay, lass. I can trust you, you're an honest girl." Smiled Olga. "Have a nice day!"

"You as well." Replied Aramere as she turned to try and worm her way through the masses back to where she could see her Amad waiting for her by the gate.

When she reached the gate, her Amad showed her the two coils of rope that she had managed to buy and the virtually unused flints that she had got on a half price deal." All we need to get now are some decent ponies." She said, putting her goods back in the barrow. " I spoke to Jimmie, Farafnor's stable hand, earlier and he said that he might be able to sell two of the newer mares, around three years old I think he said, for around forty gold a-piece and that he could seal the deal today. So I said that we would come over to the stables and have a look at them at noon-ish." Then looking up at the sky, " We should probably get going over there now, looking at the sun, come on."

So they set off to the stables at the back of The Master's house on the outskirts of the richer and more elaborately decorated half of town. Aramere had rarely been to this half of Luin Magdul, usually only seeing it from a distance from the top of the climbing pillar at the training grounds. As they walked along the quaint brick cobbled streets, they received frowns through the lace curtains of the red brick houses that stood sturdy and firm, each one the same space from the two next door to it, giving the impression of soldiers all stood to attention on parade.

Finally, they arrived outside the grandest house of all, The Master's manor house. Five stories high and clad with white marble it was an incredibly impressive building. Around the side were a set of twelve mud brick stables, each housing a chocolate brown stallion apart from the end two which held jet black mares. The Lord's private riding stallions weren't there either, for they were kept in a luxurious paddock within the inner walls of the mansion.

"Ah-ha!" cried a voice from behind the two women, startling them. "If it isn't my favourite ladies! Lady Frida. Mistress Aramere." The boy greeted them courteously with a low, sweeping bow as though they were already back in Erebor where their heritage and titles would be recognised with the due respect and nobility that they warranted.

"Honestly, Jimmie." Sighed Aramere, smirking slightly at the greeting that their arrival had yet again prompted from the young stable-hand. "Why do you always insist on welcoming us as though we are royalty? Here we are almost the exact opposite; we're refugees, _dwarf_ refugees, none the less. Everyone here frowns upon us as though we are scum from the bottom of their boots. Why in the name of the Valar don't you?"

"Truthfully my lady, it is because I know that you are much, much more that what you seem. You are not only a princess but also, a warrior, a strong-minded person in tough circumstances and a fierce protector of that which you love. And I respect that in you." He muttered shyly, as though embarrassed about what he was saying even though he obviously meant it.

"Oh Jimmie. " sighed Aramere giving him a hug. He clearly knew what was going on and wanted her to know what he thought of her before it was too late. "I don't know how to respond to that."

"You don't need to m'lady." Whispered Jimmie sweetly but with an undeniable tinge of sadness. Prising himself away awkwardly "I understand. Now." He said, swiftly changing the subject after a deep breath. "The two ponies that will accompany you on your journey shall be the pair on the end, the sisters Vahul and Forwan."

Upon hearing their name, each of the beautiful ponies whinnied in turn. Apart from Vahul possibly being slightly larger and Forwan having longer hair all round, the two were equally majestic and Aramere simply couldn't fathom why The Master wouldn't want to keep them as the stars of his stables. Then it dawned on her. These were never seen by the master or the noble men and women. The ponies that Aramere and Frida gazed upon were the working ponies. They were only there to pull loads of wood or coal or food or water rather than to pull the Master's carriage on important business. 'A complete waste of such a stunning beast' thought Aramere silently as Jimmie pulled bridles over their heads.

"Well then. If you like what you see, should we discuss a price for them lady Frida?" Asked Jimmie.

"Of course." Replied Frida with an inward sigh leaving her daughter to stroke and pat the ponies' heads. Goodness knew how much a pair of bright, fit, capable ponies would set them back. Not too much hopefully. And with that they walked over to a little bench to come to an agreement on the price and to check that there wasn't anything the matter with either of them. At last, Jimmie offered the maximum that she could afford and then refused to budge. She had everything she could have wanted in Vahul and Forwan along with the free bridles, saddles, and reins that went with them. After a minute of trying to persuade the boy to go even ten golden coins lower, she gave in and gave him all of the coins in her purse.

"Right then, we should probably go and park these up in the public stables seeing as you no longer own them master Jimmie." She said dismissing herself and beckoning for Aramere to follow her. With one last hug to an abashed looking Jimmie, Aramere guided the ponies single file through the gate way at the end of the narrow court.

"Good bye Jimmie." She whispered almost inaudibly.

"Good bye Mistress Aramere." Replied Jimmie as though he had heard every word that she had said. Smiling sadly, she handed Forwan's reins to her Amad and together they set off for the public stables by the training centre.

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And… Tug. And…Tug. As Aramere wrenched the thread through the material that she had bought from Olga a week before, her heart and mind started racing along at twice their normal pace, seemingly at random. She had recently learnt to associate the tense, but joyous, feeling with excitement and being overly happy in short, concentrated bursts. It had become an all the more familiar feeling over the last few days as the date of her departure with her Amad from Luin Magdul had drawn ever closer.

"Done." She panted as she tied a strong, unmoving knot in the last stich of the last saddlebag that they were now to fill with fresh produce and dried meats and spare clothes and anything else that they might require for their perilous mission. Heaving the six bags on to her shoulders she stumbled through to the kitchen where her Amad was waiting agitatedly for her. Hastily, they piled high the bags with supplies.

"Too late to turn back now." Frida muttered as she dumped a steaming pile of flat breads on the top of the second bag, laying a blanket over them and then pulling the draw string as tight as it would go. "Ara. Go put this one by the door please. It's finished."

"Yes Amad." She chirped excitedly. Then upon taking the bag, "Wow! I am so glad that we don't have to carry these ourselves."

"Me too Ara. Me too." Managed Frida through a massive yawn. She had been up since the wee hours of the morning preparing for the long ride ahead. "Actually, go and put them over in the stables would you? I'll be over with the rest in a minute."

"Yes Amad." Repeated Aramere in a much more forlorn tone. Adjusting her grip on the heavy bag, she stumbled out of the door into the crisp, early air of the precise conditions that she was hoping for. There was a fine layer of cloud to protect from any glare and a cooling westwardly wind so that in would be at their backs for the best part of their journey. Perfect.

Stumbling down the ladder, she felt many eyes on the back of her head, waiting to see if she could make it to the ground without falling. Ignoring them, she concentrated on her feet until they hit the dried, dusty mud (how can mud be dusty?) below. She turned and saw who had been watching her so intently. It was the boys who had caused her to make up her mind to practise with her weapons.

"Alright ginge?" The leader asked with a smirk. For all the world he looked confident and smug; like a predator who had just cornered his prey and had his whole pack at his back, but Aramere saw straight through this façade. His eyes were constantly straying to knifes and sword at her hip. To prove that they weren't just there for show, Aramere drew one and looked at in mock thoughtfulness.

"Mmm. Of course. Why do you ask?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow challengingly.

"No reason." Answered the boy quickly.

"Oh good." She grinned, "Now, if you don't mind then I really should be going. Excuse me."

The gang of boys were only too happy to part respectfully before the knife wielding girl who came up to their waists. The sight was quite one to behold and Aramere never forgot it; remembering it as a lesson, that, despite appearances, no one should be seen as a weakling or easy prey, nor should you ever be scared of something bigger than yourself purely because of that factor. The big that rely purely on size to assert dominance are foolish and are easily bowed to the will of the small and skilled.

After her meeting, she shouldered her bag with renewed strength and quickly made her way to the stables. Once she arrived, she sat down patiently next to the bag to wait for her Amad to join her. Wanting something for her hands to do, she separated her hair like her Amad had taught her and began to plait it tightly in such a way that it wouldn't go in her eyes even if she wanted it to. By the time that she had gone all the way down to the very tips, by her waist, her Amad had arrived with the other bags in a wheelbarrow.

"Very nice." She commented upon seeing her daughter's hair. "You know that that is the very style that I wore to the battle for Erebor? It has always had a special place in my heart my heart for that. It makes me happy that you should wear it when you take on your mission for Erebor. Come. Let us saddle our steeds Ara, and begin our journey."

And so, as the sun rose up and over the horizon, two mounted steeds could be seen galloping to the west where they and their riders would forever remain, never to be seen by any of the citizens of Luin Magdul again.

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 **Thank you all for reading and don't forget to like, comment (even negative comments gladly welcome) or favorite or FOLLOW. PLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE. It IS the new year after all?**


	5. By silver streams

**Sorry I haven't posted in AGES, I feel really guilty. This is the chapter where I'm probably going to start deviating a bit more from the original plot. Anyway, enjoy peeps and don't forget to review (constructive not destructive) and/or follow or favourite!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own LoTR or the Hobbit or any of Peter Jackson or Tolkien's work. I do own my OCs. ;)**

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Winced Aramere as she clopped along on her pony, Vahul. "Why does it HURT so much Amad? It's not even that rocky anymore." She moaned to her mother, Frida, who was a few paces ahead of her on Vahul's sister, Forwan.

"Stop moaning Ara. You'll get used to it. We've only been going for a few days, a week tops. Come on, catch up." Frida called back to her daughter for what seemed like the hundredth time. She herself was more than used to the aches and pains of riding long distances, having been part of Erebor's Army in secret for years. Aramere wasn't quite so experienced or immune to the pain.

"Can't we just stop for a bit and have some water?" She asked; her throat parched from not having drunk since the night before. "Please?"

Also dehydrated, her Amad agreed." But remember Ara, not too much. We have no more than what's in those skins."

"Mmm hmm." She murmured as she rummaged through her bags as Frida tied the ponies under the shade of a tall tree. "Ah ha. Bull's eye. I've got it, Amad! Here, you first."

"Don't be silly. I'll have some after you're done, but remember, not too much."

Too light headed to bother being polite for any longer, Aramere quickly twisted the top off of the skin and let the slightly warm, stale water trickle into her mouth. After a short but joyous slurp, she handed it over to her Amad who also had a quick sip and then hastily buried it deep in the centre of her saddlebag. Thank goodness that they didn't need to bother about the ponies as they got all of their moisture for the luscious grasses that grew in this area. If they had then they wouldn't have even made it this far.

"Right. You've had your brief respite, now come on. Erebor's not going to save its self. And we won't reach it for another six months if we keep going at this pace. By then, the company might as well have not had any help coming." Her Amad said sternly. "Now. On you get and come on." And with that she tugged the drawstring tight and leapt up onto Forwan's back, urging her to go into a fast trot.

Struggling slightly to untangle the reins from the bridle, Aramere had to force Vahul into a full gallop in order to catch up with her mother's shrinking figure.

So was the pattern for the next day and the next and the one after that. It was only in the few hours of sleep that they had allowed themselves on the fourth night that Aramere heard it. It was a sound that she had been holding out for, but also one that she had never thought she would hear again.

Running water.

Throwing off her blanket, she woke her Amad and, without explaining, ran off in the direction of the miraculous sound. After a few minutes frantic scrabbling, she located the source of the sound. In the bottom of a narrow ditch, a swift, shallow, silvery stream ran over the rocks and then around the corner. Aramere jumped in and washed her hands and face, feeling like the will of the Valar was finally with them.

"Ara! What were you thinking! Running off like that! No explanation! I can't believe you sometim…"

At that, she faltered, seeing what it was that her small, irresponsible daughter was playing in.

"Water." Sighed Frida. All of her anger washing away like the mud on her child's hands." You've done it, Ara. You've saved us both from drying up and dying." And, for the first time since they had left Luin Magdul, she laughed. Not a half-hearted attempt to lighten her daughter's and her own dampened spirits, but a sound of pure gladness and light-heartedness, the likes of which she had never felt before. In an instant she had leapt from one extreme to the other; despair and hopelessness to ecstasy and feeling like anything was possible if only you had the guts. They had water! They could make it! They rejoiced the discovery until the sun started to show its great yellow face over the tops of the trees.

They ran back to fetch soap and the water skins so that they might wash properly and stock up for the rest of their journey. And so, it was with a mournful heart that sadly left the silver streams that had saved them, and set off again on their path. For the next few days the stream intermittently wound its course down to the path, and then away again, and then back, and then away.

Because of the fortune of water, the small company (if it was even that) went on at a much more hasty pace and soon reached the edge of the bountiful land and were met by a dark and looming forest. The sombre mood that had been missing from their hearts was almost instantly upon them once more as they were once again reminded of the sheer enormity of their mission. "For Adad." Thought Aramere, gritting her teeth as she urged Vahul into the gloom of the woods.

After an hour or so of riding, Frida suggested a short break. Being thoroughly saddle sore, Aramere readily agreed and they sat down and ate a tiny bit of the cram that they had packed. Suddenly, a crack was heard not far from the clearing, causing the ponies to stamp and whinny. Drawing her bow, Aramere whirled around to face the maker of the sound. She scanned the edge of the clearing, waiting for a movement, a slight disturbance or sound. Nothing. Warily, she tucked the arrow back into her quiver and crouched down next to her Amad, not sure if it was a good idea or not. Snap! This time she was up instantly, springing up to face the noise. Knowing that something was there unseen, Aramere shot at the noise, receiving a howl anguish for her efforts. She could tell that it was large, and used to woodlands, but it wasn't quite an animal- if the sound was anything to go by.

"What are you and what do you want?" She shouted defiantly, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Behind her she felt her Amad rise slowly, ready for a fight.

"You ask that of me, young Dwarfling? You ask that of the master of the forest? Truly, it is I who should be asking you your names and business! Long has it been since I saw dwarves, especially women, traveling through this neck of the woods, so to speak. But I admire courage and so I shall answer you." It said in a low, rasping, evil voice from the shadows. "I am Gardoth, master of the Shifting Woods and," he said, stepping out fully into the light. Aramere gasped and took a step backwards, "as you can see, half man, half spider."

It was a myth at suddenly came flooding back to the two women. A man had been walking through the forests and had lost his way. On his way back to path, he came across another, all wrapped up in a thick, sticky web. Being a good and honest man, he stopped and tried to free the trapped man, not knowing that he was cocooned by the king of spiders because of an insult that he had spoken. Suddenly, the spiders that had been on guard rushed down to see what was moving the ropes that they were sat on. Upon seeing that it was another man, they tried to restrain him or kill him. The man was not unarmed though and swung his sword in wide arches in an attempt to shield both himself, and the trapped stranger. Having killed four, he was finally ambushed and bitten from behind. Knowing that he was as good as dead, the spiders left him with their captive. As the man lay dying, the captive that he had been trying to save suddenly spoke to him. He said that he could heal him but not fully. In order to stop the poison from spreading, he would need to become at least half of the only thing immune to the venom. A spider. Wishing only to live, the man agreed and thus became a hybrid with the torso of a man atop the body of an enormous spider, fusing where the beast's head should have been. It was an old tale and thought to have been made up just for the amusement of small children. A fable with the moral that whoever you help may help you. It was a tale that was meant to inspire kindness towards others, but it had never occurred to either Aramere or Frida that it was based on some truth. But there in front of them was all of the proof needed.

Aramere was the first to get over her shock and therefore the first to speak. Careful not to say anything to offend the towering forest guardian who was frowning down on them questioningly. "Thank you, lord Gardoth. We are truly honoured to meet you. This is Frida, my mother and companion on my journey and I am Aramere. We are journeying to meet some of our kin at the Lonely Mountain."

"Erebor! Then surely you are riding swiftly towards your death. Your kin will have perished at the hands of the dragon if they are already there but if not, they shall soon. Why do you journey to your doom girl?"

"I- Because- " she sighed. She knew it would be useless to try and conceal their true motives. "We are going to try and retake the mountain. We believe that now, after so long, we will be able to defeat the dragon and return to our home, the greatest of the seven dwarf kingdoms."

"You are on a fool's errand! Go home child. There is nothing now that you can to aid your kin; they shall perish regrettably." He looked genuinely upset by the thought of the company dying.

"Is there really, truly, nothing that we can do? Nothing that we may do to even aid them?" Aramere pleaded.

"You can pray. Hope and pray. Noth-nothing more." His already rasping voice caught on this last sentence. He genuinely seemed touched and pained by the idea of the death of complete strangers.

"I don't care. I will not stand aside while others die for a cause that I would willingly die for also. If we die we all die together. I will not cower while others do all of the work. Aramere?" Frida had finally shaken off her shock and was now ranting away as though she had wanted to get it of her chest for ages, which, in truth, she had.

"I agree. My Adad and brothers are already out there and countless **(Not strictly true)** others with them. I will not stand down until I meet death and when I do, if I do for a worthy cause, it shall be met with open arms."

The spider man considered the tiny child in front of his with a new-found respect. "You have spirit, young one. But that does not mean that I will now willingly stand aside as you journey towards an almost certain death. No. No, if you truly wish to go forth from this spot then…" He paused for a few moments, carefully considering quite what to say to the small, fiery child.

What could he do for her and her mother? He could just tell to forget it and go home but… he could understand why they were so desperate. He had not had a true place to call home for many, many years and now and again pined desperately to go back to civilisation and company. Loneliness had played a large part in that but not sole part in it. A sense of belonging was vital for happiness and nothing would change that in one million years.

"I will help you. I know what it is like to not belong anywhere but a place that you cannot go. I have discovered and expanded a tunnel system through which we may travel without the hindrance of orcs or other fell beasts, as far as I know anyway. But we must set off immediately, we have no time to lose if what you say is true and your kin are headed swiftly to the mountain. Come. Do not ride the ponies but instead lead them; the ceilings are low." Gardoth decided at last.

"Thank you, my lord." Stuttered Aramere, curtsying.

In no time at all, they reached a small cliff that Aramere wouldn't have given a second thought to in passing. But now as they drew nearer a slight depression and a faint outline became clear behind the thick foliage. A door; not much higher than the top of their hosts head. With a mighty shove he pushed it open.

"Here we are." Said the monstrous hybrid. 'Looks truly can be deceiving.' Thought Aramere to herself looking at the fearsome half-man in front of her. She was shaken from the thought as he once again started speaking. "The tunnel will take you on for twenty miles or so if you keep to the left. It will lead in rough direction that you need to go. The tunnel narrows swiftly, and I can no longer travel through them with the haste that you require. I am pleased to have met you, if only for a short while. Now, I shall say farewell and I hope that you shall do just that."

"And you also my lord. Thank you for all that you have done for us. We will never forget you or your hospitality and help." Once again, the two women bowed low.

"You are most welcome. There is one thing you must know though; it is no small coincidence that these are called the shifting woods. If you step out for any reason blow into this whistle and wait for me to come and find you. If you do not, then you shall never find your way or any path to speak of. There are many things in this wood that would happily send you to an early grave so take the utmost care!" With that he pressed a small, bronze whistle into Aramere's hand and with one last sweeping bow he disappeared away into the thick leaves and dense undergrowth without another word.

"Well, I guess that we should go in then, Amad." Ventured Aramere at last.

"Wha-Oh. Yes. We should." Said Frida, suddenly shaken from her thoughts by the inevitable proposal. "Together?"

"Together."

And so, with the ponies in tow, the two women braced themselves for the darkness ahead, and with one last glance at the twinkling stars above, plunged into its embrace.

 **I hope that that satisfied all of your needs to read more! I would REALLY enjoy and appreciate some appreciation! The more interest, the more I'll post folks and at the minute, I have 5 followers as it stands! You are all amazing people! Please show me that I'm at least doing SOMETHING right. :)**


	6. Up 'n' at 'em

**Chapter 6: Up and at 'em**

 **Aramere: Daughter of Thorin**

Aramere and Frida are in the tunnels below the shifting wood, traveling ever forwards to the Lonely Mountain. Will they be the same when they come out the other side? IF they come out the other side…

 **Enjoy the chapter folks! I've got an idea, ok? A… deal of sorts. If I get 3 of ANYTHING (be it reviews, favourites or follows (and thank you to thewolf74 for doing just that)) by next Friday at 6pm… you can have two chapters that weekend. this is the 10th ever chapter that I've posted! Enjoy!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Lord of the Rings or the hobbit or any of Tolkien or Peter Jackson's work! I do own Aramere! Enjoy :)**

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It was pitch black. Not the sort of pitch black that you experience in towns or villages or at home or even in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night. There was nothing. You could put your fingers up against your eyelashes and still not see them.

This was what Aramere and Frida were traveling through in the tunnels under the shifting wood. After having walked for 17,384 steps -Aramere had had nothing else to do but count as they plodded along- Frida recommended that they take a break. Upon hearing this, Aramere's feet and knees gave in protest and she promptly sat down and the on spot, and felt along Vahul's reins and then up onto her back to the saddle bags. Opening the bag, she felt around until her hand close on a small, cold stick. Her candle. She had packed three per bag, twelve in total, but they were only small, about six inches each. She delved back into her bag and brought out her Matches. They were slightly damp, but they should still be lightable; she thought to herself.

With trembling fingers, she pulled one of the little sticks out of its pouch and struck it on the heel of her boot. A weak flame flickered into life on its tip and cast a ghostly glow over the tunnel; instantly illuminating small details that until then, Aramere hadn't known. Lighting the wick of her candle and the one that her Amad was holding out to her, she quickly began to do a visual search of their newly revealed surroundings from her surprisingly comfortable seat on the floor.

There was a ledge jutting out of the opposite wall which was large enough to be used as a bed or storage shelf to give the ponies a rest from their loads. There were clusters of stalactites and stalagmites here and there, lining the sides of the tunnel, and giving the impression of senitals or guards watching over you. Sometimes they could be disconcerting if Aramere caught them at the wrong angle and would Make her think of the orcs or trolls or wargs or wolves or the countless other evil things that May well dwell in those tunnels. Apart from that there was nothing of any significance.

"You should sleep." Came a worried voice from over her shoulder. "I'll stay up on watch."

Too tired to protest Aramere curled up and fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

" _She is close." Whispered a hoarse voice in the shadows._

 _It was cold and clammy and slightly… Blurred. As if it were an oil painting and someone had got a board and levelled the surface, smudging everything, and the trying to rectify it by pulling it back the other way, only resulting in more smearing. The vague image was still identifiable though._

 _A_ huge _grey hill, with a beast on its brow and a figure atop the beast. They were too far away to be recognised. Suddenly, the beast reared and charged down the hill, ten of its kin appearing behind it, all with riders. There was a sinister feel about them that Aramere could not put her finger on about them, as though the air temperature dropped by several degrees and all the happiness was drained out of the world._

 _Still the creatures and their mounts thundered down the hill at a tremendous speed. They were coming straight for her. She screamed as they came closer and closer…  
50 metres…  
20 metres…  
10 metres…  
5 metres…_

 _Her legs felt like lead as she tried to get out of the way. But to no avail. She was hit in the chest by the lead mount's muzzle and sent sprawling to the floor._

 _But instead of the searing pain she had expected, she felt a sudden weightlessness; as though she was falling…_

* * *

'Hert bahst Arda (What in Arda)?' Aramere exclaimed as her eyes flew open from her dream. It had been horrible, and her skin now shone with sweat. She couldn't remember the details, only the beast and its rider on the grey hill and the beasts then all charging at her. She shuddered. It had really put her on edge for some reason. It had only been a dream but there seemed to be some significance to it.

She lay there gasping for a minute, catching her breath, thoroughly spooked. Only then did she realise how quiet it was. The candles were still burning but… and then it hit her. Literally.

A rock collided with the back of her skull and the world went black… er.

* * *

Orcs. Aramere could smell them before she had even opened her eyes. And then it all came flooding back to her.

She had been knocked out by a rock to the head. Later she had woken up, shouted for help, heard her Amad call back, seeing if she was alright, and was then promptly hit on the head again, plunging back into perpetual darkness.

Now as she peered around she wasn't about to Make the same mistake twice and call out. They were still in the tunnels, and they appeared to still be going in the right direction. Aramere had Made sure to put sparkers or the back of Vahul's heels. They left a scorch Mark trail which was unnoticeable unless you knew what you were looking for. And there were none to be seen. That brought more questions. What had the orcs done with their ponies? And how Many orcs were there?

She was lying on her back, thankfully, so she could glance around quite easily without drawing too much attention to herself. Counting as best she could, she deduced that there weren't as many as she had primarily thought. There were only about twelve in total. 'Not so many.' She thought 'We could take them. Maybe.' Then the little stubborn part of her spoke up: 'Or we die trying.' it whispered.

* * *

Aramere was lying on her back with her hands tied behind her back when her it happened. Frida had woken up again and been noticed. She had struggled against her bonds and so one of the orcs had kicked her. Hard. In the face. Frida had yelped but tried not to show how much it had hurt. But Aramere knew.

Since then she had been trying to worm her way over to her Ma. She had finally gotten close enough to give Frida a little kick. She rolled over to face her daughter. Aramere caught her breath when she saw the state of her Amad.

Frida hadn't been able to wipe the blood from her face and so was still covered in it. There was a cut above her left eye and so it had run all the way across her face. She also had obviously had a nose bleed as well which had covered the majority of that area. All in all, she looked an absolute mess. And it pained Aramere to see her like that.

Usually, Frida was so strong, certain, authoritive. Now she was brought down to the lowest Aramere had ever seen her. Her Amad was always clean, at the least. Even in exile, she was Queen Under the Mountain. She probably didn't look much better though. She hadn't washed since she had found that little stream.

So now the Queen Under the Mountain and the Heir to the Throne of Erebor, were in the custody of orcs; with no hope of escape.

* * *

 **From the bottom of my heart I am SO sorry that I haven't update this story in a while! I hope that you enjoyed that little turn of events. Please don't forget my little deal I made with you all. Don't leave it to others, help me out! I recently started a new school and I'm finding it really rather difficult to make friends so to know that I still have your support would be really uplifting. Thanks again, I'll update again soon. Hopefully. But no promises. What I do promise is that I'll do my very best. Hope to see some support soon!**


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